Storage-bin



R. E. BAKER.

STORAGE MN. 1

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1917. 1,338,483. P tented Apr- 27, 1920.

1 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

R. E. BAKER.

STORAGE BIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, I9I7.

1,338,483, Patanted Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Zzzaf/Mrr 5 ROBERT E. BAKER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STORAGE-BIN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 27, 1920,

Application filed March 19, 1917. Serial No. 155,886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Storage-Bins, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to storage bins or receptacles for a like purpose such as are used for storin iron ore, coal or similar materials in bu k, its object being to pro-.

vide a bin structure which will be economical in its construction and efiicient in its operation.

Said invention is an improvement upon the invention in stora e bins patented to me under U. S. Letters atent No. 1,088,762, and also an improvement upon the invention described and claimed in my pending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 155,885, in these respects, that, whereas the invention of said'Patent No. 1,088,762 and application Serial No. 155,885 comprise a structure which can be used where the head-room is not limited, the improvements herein described consist in constructions so modified, as will be hereinafter fully described, that-they are practicable where only i a limitedhead-room is afforded and where it is necessary, therefore, to obtain the desired capacity without much height within which to work, and also so modified that centrally-disposed suspended means subdividing and, in part, supporting the bot tom of the containing structure are provided. Other changes in structure incidental to these improvements are provided, as will hereinafter fully appear. The principal features of these improvements consist in providing two series of discharge openings in the bottom of the containing structure, one series on either side of the central means suspended from the main supporting structure and subdividing the bottom structure. These improvements are shown embodied with a main supporting structure of concrete and also such a structure of steel, there being provided in the first-mentioned case short plates and no tension rods for the intermediate side structure of the containing structure, and in the second case,

comparatively large thin plates and long tension rods for said intermediate structure.

In my improved construction, as is true of the constructions shown in said Patent No. 1,088,762 and in said application Serial No. 155,885, a flexible side structure is provided which shall assume what would be approximately a segment of a parabola under the imposed load, and the advantageous. disposition of the structural elements of the sides and bottoms of former well-known bin constructions is retained, and the disadvantages attendant upon the peculiar form of the bottoms thereof, whereby it was impossible to completely discharge the contents of such 'erable structural material was necessarily provided between the discharge openings, have been eliminated.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a form of my improved bin in which a steel supporting structure is utilized and illustrating an application of'the improvements in this invention as applied to a storage bin of the construction shown inv said Patent No. 1,088,762. Fig. 2 is a broken, vertical, transverse sectional view of a form thereof in which a concrete supporting structure is utilized and illustrating the application of the improvements herein shown and described to a bin of the character shown in said application, Serial No. 155,885, and Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse sectional View, upon an enlarged scale, of a fragmentary portion of the parts shown in contents, either'to suspend the same, supsigned'to carry the weig t of the bin and its port the same from the bottom or sides or otherwise carry the same. I have illustrated this frame portion in Fig. 1 as consisting of a steel supporting structure and in Fig. 2 as consisting of a concrete supporting structure, there being certain structural differences in the side member and the bottom member of the containing structure in these two forms.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, vertical steel columns 1 spaced .at desired distances are provided, carrying transverse beams 2 and longitudinal box girders 3, there being such a longitudinal girder 3 upon each side of the structure and one intermediately of the sides. Long tension rods 4 intersect the plates 5 of the side girders 3,-said tension rods 4 with the comparatively long thin side plates 6 and end plates 6 comprising the intermediate portion of my improved structure or the side portion of the containing structure; 'The side plates 6 rest against the angle irons 7 intersected by the tension rods 4 adjacently to the bottom face of the girders 3. The bottom portion of the containing structure comprises the side plates 8 and the end plates 8'. Near the upper edge of each of the plates 8 of each bottom section are secured by suitable riveting two longitudinally extending angle bars 9, placed back to back, so as to form a strong and rigid projecting flange 10. These 'flanges are formed with a plurality of holes which are placed so as to receive the tension rods 4. Above the said flanges 10 and forming the edge portions of the sides of the bottom sections are the angle bars 11, formed with a plurality of enlarged holes in alinement with the holes in flanges 10 and also rovided for receiving the tension rods 4. esting against the upper faces of the angle bars 11 and upon the upper edge of the end section 8' of the bottom structure is the intermediate side structure comprising the plates 6 and 6'. The plates 6 lie and rest against the inside of the tension bars 4. Each end plate 6 has riveted upon opposite sides of its lower edge portions the down wardly projecting bars 13 and, as has been fully described in my said Patent No. 1,088,? and application Serial No. 155,885, there 1 s formed between the downwardly PI'OJBCtlIlg bars 13, a groove within the top of which the end plates 6 are securely riveted, the end plates 8' projecting loosely into the bottom of said groove. The lower edge portions of plate 6 are provided with theoutwardly projecting and permanently secured angle bars 12 which rest upon the anglebars 11 and said bars 12 are provided with open slots registering with the enlar ed holes in bars 11 for receiving the tension rods 4 and with suitable bolt holes, not shown, which pass through the said bars 11 whereby the plates 6 may be removably 7 secured to the bottom structure, all as has been plainly shown and described in my said U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,088,762.

The bottom portion of the containing structure is further suspended from the main steel supporting structure by means of a central rod 14 intersecting plates 5 of the intermediate centrally-disposed longitudinal girder 3, said rod 14 being secured to the inner upper edges of the inner side plates8 of the bottom structure by means of bolts 15 intersecting the adj acently disposed angular portions15 of said side plates 8, the latter thus subdividing the bottom structure, as will be readily understood. Although the rod 14 and members 8 of the subdividing structure are shown suspended from one centrally-disposed girder 3, it will. be understood that a plurality of such subdividing structures might be utilized suspended from laterally-disposed girders, or some lateral and one central. wo series of discharge openings are provided with suitable doors 16, said two series of openings being oppositely disposed in the subdivided portions of the compound bottom structure formed by the elements hereinbefore described and plainly shown in the drawing.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in which the main supporting structure is formed of concrete, suitable reinforcement being provided, but forming no part of the present invention, anchor rods 17 are provided to which are secured by means of angle irons 18 side plates 19 of the side portion of the containing structure, said side structure comprising in addition the end plates 20, angle irons 21 being provided upon the lateral edge portions of said side plates 19 and being outwardly projecting, the end plates 20 being of such dimensions that they project between the angle irons 21 of contiguous plates 19 and are secured therebetween by means of bolts and enlarged holes, not shown, all as described in. my pending application Serial No. 155,885. Holding or supporting bars 22 are provided near the bottom of the side plates 19, pivotally secured to the latter and fixedin concrete columns 1, also as described in said pending application. The end plates 20 are provided upon their lower edge portions with downwardly projecting bars 23 and the connection between said bars and the end plates 20, as also between said bars and the side plates 24 and the end plates 25 of a bottom structure, are those shown. and described in said application Serial No. 155,885. In the form of construction shown herein, however, in so far as relates to the side plates of the side and bottom portions of the containing structure, I have shown such plates 19 and 24 as comprised of one continuous plate, thus making of the containing structure, in so far as the side plates are concerned, an absolutely unitary strucbays equal in length to the distance between the main concrete supporting structure by means of a central partition 27 rigidly secured between the angle irons 18 retained upon the anchor rod 17 of the intermediate centrally-disposed longitudinal beam. 3,

there being provided upon contiguous ends of partitions 27 angle irons 28 securely riveted together. Thes e'partition members 27 are secured at their. lower edge portions to the inner side plates 24 of the bottom structure, and thus suspend said structure from the main structure, by means of bolts 24' intersecting angular portions 24 of said side structure 24. Said inner sidemembers 24 are provided 'iipon their edges with angle irons 29, the adjacent ones being suitably r veted together to securely unite adjacent'bottom structures, as will be readily understood. Two series of discharge openings are provided with suitable discharge doors 30, said two series of openings being oppositely disposed in the comp ound bottom structure formed b the elements hereinbefore described. 11 order that proper space may be provided forthe flow of material, the inner side members 24 are inwardly bent to form portions 24 open spaces 24 being left between said main members 24 and said inwardly drawn members 24 as plainly shown in said Fig. 2, through which the material may be manually displaced by suitable hand tools if it clogs or congests the discharge openings. 1

The entire bin structure is divided into centers of the columns 1 and the provision of a rigid bottom portion of the containing structure suspended as shown makes. it possible to have a continuous opening throughout the whole depth of the structure, thus eliminating completely any element having faces or parts projecting transversely of the flow of the material downwardly into the bottom structure. The sides of the latter are also given the desired inclination. That is, the slope is steep, enough to render sure, effective self-cleaning discharge. In other Words, the slope is greater than the angle of repose of the materials ordinaril handled. These two features, therefore, ma e it possible to discharge the entire contents of the bin by gravity solely.

Whenever the material being handled is heterogeneous, or for any reason it is desired to prevent the same commingling within the structure, the partition members 27 are provided, completely shutting off the one half of the structure from the other half, and the material is discharged through the two series of discharge openlngs and commingled only as it emerges from. the bottom structure. Said partition members 27 are also flexible so as to accommodate any undue stress put upon them from one side only. \Vhenever the material being handled is homogeneous, or for any reason it is desirable to commingle the same, or. not necessary to prevent its commingling, the space between the rods 14 is left open and said rods are spaced with their centers any desired distance apart.

It will be noted that the double-mouthed bottom section is so sup orted that it. is in easy relation of can yiel a little as awhole,

verticall i e., in a vertical plane, whenever either 0 the side walls of the intermediate section is flexed or bent under varying or unequal "load pressure, while at the same time its rigidity as a whole remains practically unimpaired, the relation of the openings to each other is maintained, and any binding or jamming of the closing doors 16 and 30 is avoided.

This relatively vertically movable condition of the intermediate and bottom sections has been fully shown, described and claimed in said Patent No. 1,088,762 and pending application Serial No. 155,885. .By havin the intermediate section of the stor age c amber slightly laterally yielding, a

certain give is provlded between that and:

other parts for easing strains due to unequal loads of theapparatus as a whole, in addition-to taking care of the normal considerablelateral pressure on the side walls of As plainly the intermediate structure. pointed out in said prior patent and said pending application, the whole design results in .a construction of storage bin in which the proper adjustments, required by the strains, can be automatically taken care of; while, at the same time, b reason ofthe bottom structure being rigi within itself, and reinforced as shown, it is not necessary to provide any elements having faces or parts projecting transverselof the flow of material downwardly into t e bottom structure, whereby the entire contents of the bin are discharged solely by gravity and a practically continuous discharge opening is provided.

The provision of the features above described enables me to secure the necessary capacity of the apparatus even when only a limited head-room is afforded, the proper flexibility and tensile strength of the intermediate side structure being provided and the material is quickly and completely discharged by gravity, as is desired.

The forms of bins which I have shown in the accompan ing drawings, hereinbefore.

sure exerted upon the respective walls 6, 19 and 27. This construction thoroughly differentiates from those constructions of suspension bins which are rigid within themselves and do not provide for an easy adjustment of parts when subjected to such strains. Furthermore, the members 14 and 27 are truly supporting members and not merely partitions, the member 27 also serving, however, as a partition member if the bin is handling heterogeneous material.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a storage bin, in combination, a supporting structure; a flexible walled intermediate structure suspended therefrom; a partition dividing said intermediate structure,

said partition separately supported from the supporting structure; inner side plates supported from said partition, said plates each forming a wall of a series of discharge openings; and cooperating outer side plates supported by said intermediate structureand forming the outer opposing Walls of the openings; and end plates rigidly secured to said inner and outer side plates to form therewith a bottom structure.

2. In a storage bin, in combination, a supporting structure; laterally flexible side plates secured to said supporting structure; end plates connecting the side plates; a bottom structure comprising side and end plates and secured to said flexible side plates, said bottom side plates forming each one side of a pair of opposed discharge openings; a cooperating side for each of said pair of opposed discharge openings, said cooperating side plates being secured to said bottom end plates and the latter to said bottom side plates; and a separate central suspended member for supporting said cooperating bottom side plates.

3. In a storage bin, in combination, a supporting structure; laterally flexible 'side plates secured to said supporting structure; end plates connecting the side plates; bottom side and end plates secured below said laterally flexible plates, said bottom side plates forming each one side of a pair of opposed discharge openings; a cooperating side for each of said bottom side plates, said bottom side plates being rigidly secured to said flexible side plates and said c'ooperating side plates being secured to said bottom end plates and the latterto said bottom side plates, each cooperating pair of said bottom plates being arranged with an opening between them; a closure for each of said openings; and a separate central suspended member for supporting said cooperating bottom side plates.

4. In combination, in a storage bin, a supporting frame work; a flexible walled storage section suspended therefrom; and a stiff walled double mouthed discharge section, each of said mouths having an outside wall secured to and forming a continuation of the flexible walled section, and each having an inside wall extending toward and above an outside wall, so as to form vertical openings, the inside walls being supported from the supporting frame work independently of the flexible wall section, said inside walls being rigidly connected to the outside walls of the discharge section.

5. In storage means for use under conditions of limited head room, in combination,

a supportingframe; an intermediate structure having flexible inclined sides, said sides fixedly attached to said supporting frame; ends for said intermediate structure, said ends being loosely supported by said flexible sides; a sub-dividing structure suspended from said supporting frame and extending vertically between said inclined flexible walls; a rigid bottom structure having side walls secured to said flexible intermediate ported on said transverse supporting beams,

a third longitudinal supporting beam; an intermediate structure having flexible inclined sides, said sides fixedly attached to said longitudinal supporting beams; rigid ends for said intermediate structure, said ends being loosely supported by said flexible sides; a sub-dividing structure suspended from said third beam, and extending vertically between said inclined flexible walls; a rigid bottom structure having side walls secured to said flexible intermediate side walls and end walls relatively vertically movably connected with the ends walls of the intermediate structure, said sub-dividing structure having plates extending between the end walls of the-bottom structure and supported in relation to the side walls of the latter so as to form opposed longitudinally extending discharge openings.

Signed by me, this 13th day of March,

- ROBERT E, BAKER. 

